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Spireites reassure Downes

Chesterfield have reassured Aaron Downes that his knee injury won't affect his future at the club.

Last Updated: 21/04/09 5:17pm

Chesterfield have reassured Aaron Downes that his recent knee injury will not affect his future at the club.

The defender ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament in the 0-0 draw at home to Darlington over the Easter period and will be sidelined for up to nine months.

The Australian international is out of contract in the summer and had agreed to extend his current deal prior to the injury.

The Spireites have confirmed that they will honour that agreement and help the 23-year-old return to action as quickly as possible.

For manager Lee Richardson there was never any doubt that he would not back his player despite the severity of the injury.

"The offer has been made and we will talk about it during the week," he told the club's official website.

"For me he is the best young central defender around at this level. He was in awesome form before he was injured."

Downes had been an ever present for Chesterfield prior to the injury and his absence is likely to have an adverse effect on the club's play-off push as they currently sit just two points off the top seven with two games to play.